


breathless

by polarizedprincess



Category: American Horror Story: Apocalypse, American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, set in episode 8x05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 21:30:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16354634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polarizedprincess/pseuds/polarizedprincess
Summary: for the first time in five years, misty day can breathe.





	breathless

**Author's Note:**

> just a quick thing of what I wish could've happened along with the reunion

** (i) **

It’s difficult to breathe in hell. Misty has sensed evil since she was a child, and in the most evil place in this world and the next, the air is thick with the sickeningly sweet smell of rot. Misty never thought she’d ever smell anything but that again.

Having your body re-form from dust is truly an indescribable feeling. Both times Misty returns from the ashes, she is acutely aware of every single part of her body piecing itself back together, coming back to life infinitesimally small bit by bit.

Her physical body formed first. The shift between realms is jarring, to say the least. Her soul took a little while longer to return. She lays there for a while before she’s actually aware that she’s back.

The first thing Misty Day notices when she returns to the human world is the smell. Wherever she is, the air is stuffy, the room warm. There is the faint smell of mingling perfumes, and the familiar scent of the person who feels like home to her.

The first thing Misty Day feels when she comes back to life is the floor. The hard wood floor, uncomfortable against her head, smooth against her bare arms. The first thing she hears is a soft, tearful voice, whispering her name.

The second thing Misty Day feels upon her return is protected. She feels the warmth of a body near her, hovering above her, shielding her from the world. She feels the warmth of love.

The third thing Misty Day feels in the world is a pair of hands on her face. A pair of cold hands, holding her face desperately, yet gently, as though afraid to harm her. A pair of thumbs, caressing soft arcs on her face. Cold hands, warm body. How beautifully strange.

“Misty,” a voice whispers. Misty would know that voice even in hell.

“Misty, my dearest Misty.” She seems to be crying.

The first thing Misty Day sees when her eyelids open is Cordelia Goode. The golden light of the fireplace washes over her, accentuated by the otherwise dimly lit room, shining off her waves of blonde hair. Her eyes are different than Misty remembers - are these her real eyes? - they appear to be a deep caramel colour in the firelight, with tiny, flickering bits of gold. She’s even more beautiful than she is in Misty’s memories.

Cordelia’s hands cup the back of her neck, trying to help her up, and Misty is suddenly awake, pulling herself up by clutching on to her arms. She feels the cold of her hands against her cheek, holding her face, thumbs brushing her skin, cold hands against her own warm skin.

Misty is aware that Cordelia is crying, but she’s smiling - she’s smiling more brightly than Misty has ever seen her smile before. She sobs (though it almost sounds like a giggle), and pulls Misty into her arms.

This doesn’t feel real. Misty slides her arms around Cordelia, her hands on her back, holding her almost tentatively. Her hands register the feel of the smooth fabric of her shirt, of the warmth from her body, of Cordelia’s hand in her hair, and there is no way this isn’t real.

She pulls away, and looks at Cordelia, who cups her face again, and Misty holds on to her hand, the feeling of her skin against hers almost unreal. Cordelia is stroking her hair with her other hand, as though she herself just has to make sure Misty really is back.

The expression on Cordelia’s face is heart-achingly soft. Her dark eyes are shining with tears, and her mouth is curved into a smile, and she is looking at her with so, so much love. In her entire life, no one has ever looked at Misty the way Cordelia looks at her now.

The first thing in the world Misty Day  _ feels _ is love.

She takes a quick, hesitant sweep of her surroundings. She has no idea where she is, but that’s alright. She sees Queenie, Zoe, Madison, and Myrtle, but there is only one person she wants to look at.

“Am I...?” Misty whispers. Her voice feels rough in her throat. She’s been pleading and screaming for almost 5 years now, and it feels strange to just... speak.

“Yes,” Cordelia replies, exclaiming in a whisper. She nods vigorously, as if to convince herself as well. Misty’s finger starts tapping her arm rapidly, reaffirming it to herself. Cordelia’s hands shake her face gently.

“You’re back, you’re safe,” she murmurs, the smile not leaving her face once.

It’s true, it really is true. She’s back, she’s  _ safe _ . She rests her forehead against Cordelia’s, and for the first time in five years, Misty Day can breathe.

** (ii) **

Zoe and Queenie fill Misty in on everything she’s missed since she was gone. The growing of the coven, the new council members, the new witches, the warlocks. Misty mostly wants to know if Stevie Nicks has written any new music since she was gone, and also about Cordelia’s Supremacy.

They describe to her how Cordelia has blossomed into a confident, powerful witch over the past 5 years. Misty is glad to hear that - she’s always found Cordelia so incredible, and it is good that she has learned that herself. Misty just wishes she could’ve been there with her.

Misty learns of the ways in which Cordelia has missed her in the past five years. Zoe tells her about how she still keeps her things in a box, refusing to let anyone else even touch them. Cordelia never got a picture of Misty - she thought she’d have more time - so she keeps the first plant they grew together on her desk, to remind her of Misty.

In the days following her failure to return from hell, Cordelia didn’t have time to mourn her. She had to start up the new Academy regime, welcome the new girls, and a million other things. It is only a month later that Zoe finds Cordelia sobbing into one of Misty’s shawls, and realises just how much she meant to her.

On the anniversary of her death, Cordelia leaves Zoe and Queenie in charge, and spends the day at the swamp to fix up Misty’s cabin. To really keep it from falling into ruin, it’d make more sense for her to go at least once a month, but maybe she just needed something that let her feel close to Misty for the entire day.

It is Queenie who recalls to Misty about how Cordelia had held her as she died. Even though she wasn’t supposed to interfere, Cordelia broke the rules and tried to cast a counterspell on Misty, to bring her back from hell. Her body was held in Cordelia’s arms in her last moments, before she dissolved into ash.

Misty Day drew her last breath the same way she drew her first - loved by Cordelia Goode.

** (iii) **

Misty balances the cup on the saucer carefully as she takes steady, cautious steps. Cordelia is stirring on the couch,with Myrtle by her side. Myrtle had alerted her as soon as Cordelia woke up, and so Misty had made her tea and rushed (well, stepped cautiously) to her immediately.

“It’s not Louisiana mud,” Misty says, carefully passing the cup to Cordelia. “But it’ll do."

“What is it?” Cordelia asks, sitting up a little. Her hands touch Misty’s as she takes the cup from her.

“Lipton’s,” Misty says apologetically. Cordelia laughs softly, and takes a sip. She sets the cup back down on the saucer gently, and looks Misty in the eye. In a darker setting, Cordelia’s eyes are more of a warm chocolate hue, and they are Misty’s new favourite colour.

“I knew you for such a short time and I’ve missed you forever,” she says, her voice low and steady and full of so much love.

In the infinite time of a split second, Misty wishes that she and Cordelia are somewhere they can be alone and safe, so Misty could curl up in her arms and forget the looming threat of the apocalypse and the lingering trauma of the time she spent in hell.

She shakes her head sadly, and speaks softly. “You should’ve left me where I was.”

Cordelia looks shocked, as if the idea of leaving Misty behind is unthinkable. But that man who retrieved her from hell is the strangest individual she’s ever met, and she doesn’t mean that in a good way. That man, Michael, he  _ reeks _ of evil.

Misty would be glad to stay in hell forever if it meant keeping Cordelia safe from a man like him.

Cordelia doesn’t see it that way. The way she sees it, he’s given her an advantage, by bringing her all her girls back for the upcoming fight, and that Misty herself has brought the first proof of his power.

Misty has never been much of a fighter, now far less than ever. She’s lost her footing. It’s hard, being back in the real world. She’s been in hell for so long that she barely even remembers who she was before. Sometimes it's even hard to breathe; every breath she takes, she expects it to smell like the awful combination of chemicals and the sweet, rotting scent of decay she's grown used to for five years.

Maybe she should’ve just stayed there, in that lab. That way Michael would’ve failed the test, Cordelia wouldn’t have to give up her Supremacy, and Misty would be where she belongs.

Her despair must be written on her face, because Cordelia’s mouth tightens for a moment; a tiny detail only Misty notices.

“Myrtle, could you give us a moment?” she asks.

“Of course, my dear,” Myrtle murmurs. Cordelia hands her the cup, and Myrtle leaves the room in a whirl of frizzy red hair and very strong perfume.

“Misty,” Cordelia begins, propping herself up properly. She holds Misty’s gaze resolutely.

“I have missed you every single day since you’ve been gone. I have tried so many different spells, so many incantations, to bring you back. And if what it takes to bring you back to me is Michael, then I’m glad I did what I did. I failed when I let you die, and I won’t let that happen ever again.”

Cordelia reaches out to squeeze her hand gently. “I understand that you feel lost now, and you need some time to heal, after all you’ve been through. But you’ll be alright, Misty. I promise.”

Her dark eyes burn through Misty like fire, and she understands now that every single breath she takes is worth the entire world to Cordelia Goode.

“I’ve missed you more than you could’ve imagined, Miss Cordelia,” Misty says quietly, though that is an understatement. For every second she’s been in hell, she has missed Cordelia enough to last a lifetime.

“I know, Misty. I’ve missed you just the same.” Cordelia reaches out and gently tucks one of Misty’s blonde curls behind her ear, before cupping her face gently. Misty loves how easy it is for them to touch, how it seems like it’s almost second nature to Cordelia.

“But you’re back now, and I won’t let you go ever again,” Cordelia continues, and the certainty in her voice is a promise. And finally, Misty realises that her lifelong search for her tribe has come to an end.

Misty holds on to Cordelia’s hand, and she can’t help the tears forming in her eyes. She sniffles and swipes them away quickly. Cordelia leans in, resting her forehead against hers. A thought occurs to Misty, and she takes hold of it before she loses her nerve.

Misty closes her eyes and breathes in for a moment. She leans in, closing the distance between her and Cordelia, softly touching her lips to hers in a clumsy butterfly kiss. Cordelia draws back in surprise, and Misty is instantly horrified at what she just did.

“Oh my lord I’m so sorry,” she says quickly, clapping both her hands to her mouth. She thought Cordelia felt the same way she did, and she is clearly wrong.

“No, no, don’t be sorry, Misty,” Cordelia says, touching her hands reassuringly. Misty curls her hands inward protectively, her heart pounding.

“I shouldn’t have- I’m so sorry,” Misty repeats, mumbling into her knuckles. Her eyes are cast downwards, looking anywhere but Cordelia.

“I just never thought I’d ever get to do that,” she says, so softly she wonders if Cordelia could even hear her.

“Hey,” Cordelia says, her voice quiet and comforting. She touches Misty’s face gently, and Misty glances up. Cordelia has a small, strangely longing smile on her face.

“You aren’t the only one who’s wanted to do that forever,” she says. Misty's heart soars, and her eyes flicker upwards to meet Cordelia's.

“Then what’re you still waitin’ for?” Misty asks, a crooked, almost mischievous smile on her face. There is a spark in her blue eyes reminiscent of the Misty she used to be, and she is already beginning to heal.

Cordelia laughs and pulls her close, joining her mouth to hers in a proper kiss. Her hands are on either side of Misty’s face, her fingers sliding through her blonde curls. Her lips are soft against Misty’s, and Cordelia whispers her name quietly, almost like a prayer, and

Misty

is

breathless.

 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading !! if you enjoyed it pls feel free to leave a comment !!


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